Spring 2018

It's been a busy time since the start of 2018. We continue to settle into our suburban oasis in central Arkansas, but I think we're finally getting into a good routine. I've even found more time to cook lately, and that has produced a parade of relatively notable meals and even a major culinary breakthrough for me personally. Recent menus have included herb roasted chicken with my favorite green bean casserole, honey oat waffles topped with sausage and apples, stuffed quail cooked in gumbo (a recipe known as "death by gumbo"), and Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon and dill Hollandaise sauce. This last item is the breakthrough I was referring to. For years, I have tried to make my own Hollandaise, but it always cracks!! Recently, an article in the Arkansas Living Magazine provided a set of instructions for this tricky sauce that helped me better visualize the process I needed and rekindled my courage. I won't say I got it right on the first attempt, but, eventually, I checked a box on my culinary bucket list and made the most beautiful, fluffy Hollandaise you can imagine. I can't promise it will ever turn out that well again, but at least I can say I've done it (proof below). I know traditional Eggs Benedict comes with Canadian bacon, but I ordered it once with smoked salmon ("lox" to some) at a restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin. It's been my go-to version ever since! The saltiness and velvety texture of the salmon with the egg and sauce is really something you must try.

Tonight my family is planning to enjoy another dish new to us, a lemony rice and chicken soup called Avgolemono. We've also been working on my new herb box and will begin preparing our backyard vegetable garden soon. More pictures and recipes to come as we forge ahead on our daily food adventure!